The Falkirk FC Thread

[Amarillo Bairn]

A potential list of managers for next season. Wright probably unattainable.
Jim Mcintyre
John Mcglynn 
Tommy Wright 
Allan Johnstone 
Peter Houston (would be ever come back? Probably not)
Darren Young 
Danny Lennon (might not touch us?)
Jim Duffy
Vote now! 

I'd wait and see what happens at Airdrie, if they get promoted or not, and go all out to try get Ian Murray

[Proudtobeabairn]

1 hour ago, brokeville said:

Financially we’re in a mess. I feel sorry for the Patrons who have all invested serious money in the club and they’re seeing no improvement.

Heading into next season it’s safe to assume season tickets will fall along with other income streams. Will these same people put they’re hands in their pockets again, I think not.

What a mess.

When it comes to buying into football clubs, £10k really isn't serious money.  The new board need to have the skills to increase investment from elsewhere as it sounds as though none have particularly deep pockets.  

Griffiths alone will have wiped out at least 3 of those investments by the end of the season.  

[18BAIRN76]

1 hour ago, Bairnardo said:

1 hour ago, Donathan said:

Time to start looking at who's under contract for next season
 
GK: Luke Holt
RB: Ryan Williamson
LB: Leon McCann, Cammy Williamson, Blair Sneddon
CB: Paul Watson, Brad McKay
CM: Steven Hetherington
AM/WG: Calumn Morrison, Craig McGuffie, Seb Ross
ST: Jaime Wilson
 
 
 
As a minimum I hope we can find a way to empty McKay, Hetherington and Wilson

Nearly all of them can go tbh. I'd keep Watson, McCann and Williamson without much complaint, and Morrison. Other than that none of that list is good enough

Aye I was just about to comment the same thing. Watson, Morrison and McCann are the only three I'd definitely keep. WIlliamson, I can give or take. I'd also keep Dowds and/or Griffiths but that will never be happening. The rest can f**k off.

[latapythelegend]

8 minutes ago, Amarillo Bairn said:

I'd wait and see what happens at Airdrie, if they get promoted or not, and go all out to try get Ian Murray

Last thing we should be doing is paying any compensation to bring in a manager. 

Anybody coming in will be out a job. 

[FK1Bairn]

34 minutes ago, Proudtobeabairn said:

Yes but the flip side of that is that without fans buying ST's we wouldn't have a club to support or hope gets back to where it belongs.  

The fans are never to blame and buying season tickets and sticking around when the football is as bad as it has been the last few years should be commended, not ridiculed.  

That's all fine and well but would you keep paying money to a pub/restaurant if the food, drink and service was shit?

[bairn88]

10 minutes ago, FK1Bairn said:

That's all fine and well but would you keep paying money to a pub/restaurant if the food, drink and service was shit?

Such a false equivalence imo. For the love not the glory, otherwise we’d all be ugly sister fans. 

Now that we possibly have the right idea board wise, being up shit creek leaves me more likely to invest as this is when we need it most. 

[Springfield]

We’re down to three STs from a group of six three years ago. Yesterday was the end for me this season, these guys are now lost forever.

Can’t and won’t watch another appalling performance. The next few months will undoubtedly become our most important in our history.

I’d like to think like hundreds of supporters we can look forward to renewing our STs. However unless there is a massive shift in the quality of manager and players, I will not renew and will stop my payment to the FSS after supporting the club in many ways for a very long time. 
Simply had it.

 

[FalkirkBairn2021]

The fuel bills we're all about to see from April will hit STs hard I think. Falkirk's generally speaking a working class crowd. Not many prawn sandwiches. When there's potentially a couple of grand a year more on household bills people will have to prioritise.

I'm fortunate enough not to have to worry about that but I have extended family who are bricking it as they were already seeing income and expenditure getting worryingly close to equal.

And with this Tory c***s of a government offering f**k all help I worry for families. Especially old yins.

Edited March 13, 2022 by FalkirkBairn2021

[Dawson Park Boy]

9 minutes ago, bairn88 said:

Such a false equivalence imo. For the love not the glory, otherwise we’d all be ugly sister fans. 

Now that we possibly have the right idea board wise, being up shit creek leaves me more likely to invest as this is when we need it most. 

You’re spot on.

Supporting Falkirk isn’t like a commercial transaction.

Its part of our local heritage.

Agree with you that I’m probably now more likely to shovel money in  to help the new BOD get us out of this mess.
Have just joined FSS along with being an early BfL member.

Without cash we’re definitely doomed.

[Diamond8]

I'd wait and see what happens at Airdrie, if they get promoted or not, and go all out to try get Ian Murray

Falkirk isn't an attractive job. The fans won't accept it takes 3 and bit years to build a squad through trial and error the way Murray has for us. I'd also take a punt on it taking a bit longer to sort out your mess than it did ours. Seems like there's an abundance of deadwood around your whole club and not just on the pitch. From the outside looking in it looks very similar to where we were 2013/2014, could be a very long road back.

[Tea and Busquets]

I want Peter Houston back, even just for season then move him upstairs. Get a bit of passion, desire and spirit back. These things go a long way and something we’ve lacked since he left. Now before anyone says, I know about his recruitment. Not every single signing is going to be spot on, look at Man United one of the biggest clubs in the world, they can’t even get their recruitment right. I’d have him over any others but I know, we all know, he wont come back now.

[Guest Ecosse83]

11 minutes ago, Diamond8 said:

1 hour ago, Amarillo Bairn said:

I'd wait and see what happens at Airdrie, if they get promoted or not, and go all out to try get Ian Murray

Falkirk isn't an attractive job. The fans won't accept it takes 3 and bit years to build a squad through trial and error the way Murray has for us. I'd also take a punt on it taking a bit longer to sort out your mess than it did ours. Seems like there's an abundance of deadwood around your whole club and not just on the pitch. From the outside looking in it looks very similar to where we were 2013/2014, could be a very long road back.

It should be easier for us with the wages we have been offering, unfortunately when you don’t employ a decent manager to spend the money on those wages or doesn’t work out! 

[18BAIRN76]

26 minutes ago, Diamond8 said:

1 hour ago, Amarillo Bairn said:

I'd wait and see what happens at Airdrie, if they get promoted or not, and go all out to try get Ian Murray

Falkirk isn't an attractive job. The fans won't accept it takes 3 and bit years to build a squad through trial and error the way Murray has for us. I'd also take a punt on it taking a bit longer to sort out your mess than it did ours. Seems like there's an abundance of deadwood around your whole club and not just on the pitch. From the outside looking in it looks very similar to where we were 2013/2014, could be a very long road back.

That's what a lot of us have been saying, though. With the budget we've had since we've come down (appreciate next season will most likely be widely different), it really shouldn't have taken a fucking genius to put together a side to win this league. The fact we haven't done this highlights the gross incompetence of everyone involved since relegation.

[FFC1982]

I get what everyone is saying about Houstie but you have to ask yourself if he would be even remotely interested. 
 

He put a large chunk of his heart and soul into the club only to be greeted by chants telling him to GTF from the South Stand- if i was him I would stay as far away from our basket case of a club as i could.

[ClathyDave]

Sorry if it’s been covered already, but a few folks have mentioned there was a wee bit of a lecture over the tannoy yesterday. Could anyone let me know what was said? Cheers! 

[PedroMoutinho]

52 minutes ago, Tea and Busquets said:

I want Peter Houston back, even just for season then move him upstairs. Get a bit of passion, desire and spirit back. These things go a long way and something we’ve lacked since he left. Now before anyone says, I know about his recruitment. Not every single signing is going to be spot on, look at Man United one of the biggest clubs in the world, they can’t even get their recruitment right. I’d have him over any others but I know, we all know, he wont come back now.

Houston’s recruitment was poor but I do wonder what would’ve happened if he was given more resources.

I remember being at a Q&A where Craig Campbell said the budget had been cut for the season Houston ended up being sacked. That was a crazy decision to me when it was our first real opportunity to challenge for promotion without Rangers, Hearts and Hibs in the league.

You wonder if things would’ve worked out differently in hindsight of Houston had been given some of the money that has been spent like water over the last few years replacing entire squads.

[thediamonddude]

It’s worth bearing in mind that when we first came down all those years ago, we had better budgets than the majority of teams around us and spent at least a season or two as a full-time team in a league of largely part-timers - it didn’t make a difference.

We had 3 club legends in charge - Sandy Stewart, Kenny Black and Jimmy Boyle - none of whom really had what it took, unfortunately.

By the time Boyle took over, we’d gone part-time and focused on developing youth players but again, he just didn’t have what it took and too many of those players just weren’t good enough.

Bollan came next, as we tried the more ‘experienced’ route and, while there were glimmers of hope here and there, we probably couldn’t really back him the way we needed to financially. By the time he was shown the door, we’d been consistently in the 3rd tier for 4/5 seasons and it was longer than that if you count the few yo yo seasons beforehand.

We then had the first ‘takeover’ and the full-time experiment, which saw a raft of ill-advised managerial appointments - Eddie Wolecki-Black, Kevin McBride, Marc Wilson, Stevie Findlay - as well as a bunch of untried kids and one or two seasoned ‘pros’, as the club desperately tried everything they could to turn it around.

It was only after our takeover in 2017 where, after giving Stevie Findlay a chance for a season and a bit, the board saw sense, went hybrid and appointed our best manager in 20-odd years, Ian Murray. 

12 years and counting in the ‘wilderness’ and believe me, there is no easy fix. 

Hell, even since Murray took over, there have been a lot of bumps in the road. Many of us (myself included) have backed him and believed he was building something/there was steady improvement but it hasn’t always been an easy watch and many weren’t buying into it until this season. 

For what it’s worth, I don’t see Murray going anywhere near Falkirk next season - whether we’re promoted or not. He’s just come off a significant project with us for the past 4 years that was a bit further along than where you guys are at right now. Like others have said, there’s clearly some serious issues behind the scenes that need ironing out before things start to work on the park. I reckon if we do lose him, entirely possible if we aren’t promoted, he’ll be after another crack at the Championship.

Also worth pointing out (and this is only a rumour I heard floating around the terraces just after Christmas) but Murray was apparently approached by Falkirk before they appointed Rennie (as well as by QP and Hibs for their academy job) and he knocked them all back. It tells me that he won’t be jumping for the sake of it anytime soon and you’ve got to think that even if we don’t manage promotion this season, which would be gutting given how good we have been, we’d still be a better prospect than Falkirk next season.

I guess my point is, while it’s not guaranteed, it’s highly likely it’ll take you guys 2-3 seasons to get to where you want to be from here, at best - given the position of the club, contracts, what other teams are doing, etc. This isn’t a throw money at it and it’ll go away situation and the same goes for the manager thing - while you always need to aim high, I think a healthy dose of reality is needed if anyone thinks getting a manager like Ian Murray in current circumstances will be easy or a given.

[HopeStreetWalker]

1 hour ago, Springfield said:

We’re down to three STs from a group of six three years ago. Yesterday was the end for me this season, these guys are now lost forever.

Can’t and won’t watch another appalling performance. The next few months will undoubtedly become our most important in our history.

I’d like to think like hundreds of supporters we can look forward to renewing our STs. However unless there is a massive shift in the quality of manager and players, I will not renew and will stop my payment to the FSS after supporting the club in many ways for a very long time. 
Simply had it.

 

Similar scenario to the 1970's from the 8-10,000 crowds during the Cunningham era to 500 during the Billy Little part time set up 6 years later.

Most of these fans never came back and it took visionaries like Moffat and Johnson as custodians to bring in Totten and kickstart a new era. 

[bairn88]

2 minutes ago, thediamonddude said:

It’s worth bearing in mind that when we first came down all those years ago, we had better budgets than the majority of teams around us and spent at least a season or two as a full-time team in a league of largely part-timers - it didn’t make a difference.

We had 3 club legends in charge - Sandy Stewart, Kenny Black and Jimmy Boyle - none of whom really had what it took, unfortunately.

By the time Boyle took over, we’d gone part-time and focused on developing youth players but again, he just didn’t have what it took and too many of those players just weren’t good enough.

Bollan came next, as we tried the more ‘experienced’ route and, while there were glimmers of hope here and there, we probably couldn’t really back him the way we needed to financially. By the time he was shown the door, we’d been consistently in the 3rd tier for 4/5 seasons and it was longer than that if you count the few yo yo seasons beforehand.

We then had the first ‘takeover’ and the full-time experiment, which saw a raft of ill-advised managerial appointments - Eddie Wolecki-Black, Kevin McBride, Marc Wilson, Stevie Findlay - as well as a bunch of untried kids and one or two seasoned ‘pros’, as the club desperately tried everything they could to turn it around.

It was only after our takeover in 2017 where, after giving Stevie Findlay a chance for a season and a bit, the board saw sense, went hybrid and appointed our best manager in 20-odd years, Ian Murray. 

12 years and counting in the ‘wilderness’ and believe me, there is no easy fix. 

Hell, even since Murray took over, there have been a lot of bumps in the road. Many of us (myself included) have backed him and believed he was building something/there was steady improvement but it hasn’t always been an easy watch and many weren’t buying into it until this season. 

For what it’s worth, I don’t see Murray going anywhere near Falkirk next season - whether we’re promoted or not. He’s just come off a significant project with us for the past 4 years that was a bit further along than where you guys are at right now. Like others have said, there’s clearly some serious issues behind the scenes that need ironing out before things start to work on the park. I reckon if we do lose him, entirely possible if we aren’t promoted, he’ll be after another crack at the Championship.

Also worth pointing out (and this is only a rumour I heard floating around the terraces just after Christmas) but Murray was apparently approached by Falkirk before they appointed Rennie (as well as by QP and Hibs for their academy job) and he knocked them all back. It tells me that he won’t be jumping for the sake of it anytime soon and you’ve got to think that even if we don’t manage promotion this season, which would be gutting given how good we have been, we’d still be a better prospect than Falkirk next season.

I guess my point is, while it’s not guaranteed, it’s highly likely it’ll take you guys 2-3 seasons to get to where you want to be from here, at best - given the position of the club, contracts, what other teams are doing, etc. This isn’t a throw money at it and it’ll go away situation and the same goes for the manager thing - while you always need to aim high, I think a healthy dose of reality is needed if anyone thinks getting a manager like Ian Murray in current circumstances will be easy or a given.

Just looking at your crowds through this period - triple digits, sometimes into the 1000-1500 mark. Imo that’s why it’s difficult, so far, to compare us to Airdrie. We’re getting 4k, or there or thereabouts, until very very recently. “Crowdwank” calls. Nah. This is by far the main source of income for teams in our league (barring the wealthy newbies ala Kelty). 

So our crowds are roughly 3/4 times larger. I think it’s fair to say a playing budget is roughly 3 times as large as yours ever was, even after you initially came down. It’s basically incomparable. Mismanagement of a monumental scale.

However, next season is probably where you can start to compare. ST’s will be way down and walk ups will be few and far between.

[Springfield]

2 minutes ago, HopeStreetWalker said:

Similar scenario to the 1970's from the 8-10,000 crowds during the Cunningham era to 500 during the Billy Little part time set up 6 years later.

Most of these fans never came back and it took visionaries like Moffat and Johnson as custodians to bring in Totten and kickstart a new era. 

Unfortunately looks like we’re heading straight into a similar situation unless we find some very wealthy investors/investment.